School/CBSE/State Education Department Guidelines to Reduce Weight of School Bag in the Schools Affiliated to CBSE
Reducing the Weight of School Bags
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed schools affiliated to it to ensure that students do not carry school bags till Class II. In its latest circular dated 12th September, 2016, it has advised all its affiliated schools to take all possible measures to keep the weight of school bag under control.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has recommended only two books (Language and Mathematics) for classes I & II and three books for Classes III to V (Language, Environmental Studies and Mathematics). NCERT has also made available all their textbooks for free access through the web (epathshala.nic.in) and mobile devices.
http://cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/Circulars/2016/35_Cir_on_reduction_on_School_Bag.pdf
http://www.edudel.nic.in/upload_2013_14/556_558_dt_06052014.pdf
What are the adverse effects on health of growing children and if a child carries heavy bag for a long time?
Young children whose spine is at a crucial stage of growth are the most susceptible ones to hazards such as back pain, muscle pain, shoulder pain, fatigue and in extreme cases the distortion of spinal cord or shoulders that may most plausibly be attributed to heavy school bags.
- Frozen Shoulder syndrome- Scarring or inflammation of muscles in the shoulder
- Compensatory deposit on spine—calcium deposits in the ligaments around the invertebral discs
- Spinal deformity
- Bad posture
- Chronic muscle pain in shoulder and arm
“This issue can be alarming as such children tend to have bad postures as they grow and can have permanent bent in their spinal cords in extreme cases,” An orthopaedician R C Meena said “I have seen school children with issues like cold shoulder syndrome, compensatory deposit on spine and poor postures and on detailed probing it emerged that they had been carrying bags of over 20 per cent of their body weight,”
Who can play crucial role ?
Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and the majority of schools are under the jurisdiction of the State Governments, it is for the respective State/Union Territory Government to take appropriate measures to reduce the weight of schools bags of the children studying in their schools. Schools can play a significant role by sensitizing students, parents and teachers. It can be implemented thorough combined awareness and efforts by taking some feasible measures by schools, teachers and parents.
Suggestions for Schools (CBSE Circular 12th September, 2016)
Schools may exhort students to abide strictly by the timetable and relate the adverse effects of fatigue caused due to heavy bags on their day to day performance in class. This may either be done by integrating this knowledge across scholastic or co-scholastic areas or by sharing it during school assemblies. The theme such as Adverse Effects of Heavy School Bags may be included in various activities and functions conducted in school.
Students should be encouraged to repack their bags on daily basis and to avoid carrying unnecessary articles, textbooks, workbooks that are not needed.
Schools may check school bags randomly to ensure the proper weight of school bags. This will have deterrent effect for future.
Schools may ensure the adequate supply of potable and safe drinking water for everybody and counsel students not to bring the heavy water bottle to school. This may be possible if all the teachers including principal consume the same water that is taken by their students. Regular quality checks of water may also be ensured.
Schools should design weekly timetable in such a way that minimum number of textbooks and workbooks are required each day. It should be evenly spread over to the entire week. Schools may take extra care to preclude the possibility of carrying large number of books/workbooks, atlas, drawing board etc. or other article by students.
Students need not carry extra pair of sportswear throughout the day rather they may be allowed to wear it for the entire day.
Timetable could also have separate provision for students to complete their assignments/projects during the school hours under direct supervision of teachers.
It is reiterated once again that all the tasks related to projects and activities can be done as group activities during the school hours. It should not be prescribed as home work as it leads to getting the school bag bigger.
Textbooks for classes I-VIII, apart from their academic worth, should be light weighted. Schools should not prescribe too many additional and supplementary textbooks which are at times voluminous, costly and designed in a pedagogically unsound manner. Kindly see the guidelines issued by CBSE in this regard. Textbooks and workbooks may not be hard bound.
There should not be any homework assigned to students of classes I-II and they need not bring their school bag.
Suggestions for teachers (CBSE Circular 12th September, 2016)
Teachers may also be counselled by the principals to provide unambiguous instructions for bringing textbooks beforehand and not to penalise students in any way for not bringing textbooks/workbooks. The fear of such measures may compel many students to bring most of the books/workbooks making their bags heavy.
Teachers may be encouraged to use alternative methods of teaching like the ones based on ICT to alleviate the dependence on textbooks.
Teachers may be asked to use loose sheets for the workbooks as it reduces the weight of school bag and facilitate the checking by teachers as well. Teachers would also require to carry less test copies.
Teachers may make pairs of children and these pairs may be allowed to share textbooks. One of the students in a pair may be asked to bring half of the textbooks required for the day and the remaining textbooks will be brought by the other student.
Suggestion for parents (CBSE Circular 12th September, 2016)
During PTM parents may be advised to be mindful of the health concerns of their wards and purchase lighter school backpack with two taut stripes.
For primary classes, parents may be told to remind and supervise children in repacking their bags everyday as per the timetable and ensure that their wards do not carry unnecessary items such as story books, playthings etc. to school.
Children are often in the habit of storing things in their school bags, therefore regular cleaning of the school bag is essential.
The bag should be put on tightly to the child’s back, rather than hanging off her shoulders.
Rajeev Ranjan
http://cbseacademic.nic.in/
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=168903
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/jun/07/pil-in-the-supreme-court-for-reducing-weight-of-ncert-books-1825059.html
CBSE Affiliation Norms/What is Composite Affiliation/CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws 2018
CBSE Affiliation Norms/Categories of Affiliation/Affiliation Bye-Laws 2018